What it asks: "Without raising additional taxes, shall the existing Climate Action Plan excise tax be extended for five years for the purpose of continuing to provide incentives, services, and other assistance to Boulder residents and businesses to improve energy efficiency, expand the use of renewable energy, and take other necessary steps to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, at the current rate of $0.0049 per kilowatt hour (kwh) for residential customers, $0.0009 per kwh for commercial customers, and $0.0003 per kwh for industrial customers on electricity consumed, from its current expiration of March 31, 2013, through March 31, 2018 as a voter-approved revenue change?"

What it means: The Climate Action Plan tax, commonly known as the "carbon tax," is a tax on utility bills. It raises around $1.8 million a year for energy efficiency and renewable energy programs, including incentives and rebates for homeowners and residential and commercial landlords. The ballot issue would extend the tax for another five years.

What supporters say: Supporters say city officials learned valuable lessons about which programs resulted in the most reductions in greenhouse gas emissions during the first years of the tax, and they will be able to see greater reductions and greater efficiencies moving forward.

Advertisement

If the tax is not renewed, the city will be severely hampered in its ability to reduce the community's greenhouse gas emissions and popular incentive and rebate programs will not continue. The tax otherwise would expire in March.

What opponents say: There is no organized opposition to this measure. Some Boulder residents have questioned how the CAP tax money is spent.

Knights pick up first playoff win since '14BOULDER — This year's Fairview boys basketball team sure is full of surprises.
After losing five of their first eight games, the Knights rebounded to finish the regular season on a 13-2 run and found a way to win the Front Range League regular season championship. Full Story

The Boulder alt-country band gives its EPs names such as Death and Resurrection, and its songs bear the mark of hard truths and sin. But the punk energy behind the playing, and the sense that it's all in good fun, make it OK to dance to a song like "Death." Full Story